XTREME IT! - (Or) Can it be done without using Photoshop?

[Xhris]

...in the end I couldn't duplicate the Photoshop version with the Live Effects available in Xara Xtreme...

All photoshop LEs can be used in Xara.

With some additional...Transparency Types it's my opinion, after doing these tutorials, that Xara Xtreme could give Photoshop some serious competition...

What do you mean by transparency types out of interest? Shapes (circular, elliptical, conical etc.) or the 'blending' type i.e. how it processes colours under the transparent object (e.g. stained glass, bleach, saturation etc.)? What specifically is missing?